The Medical Marijuana Debates

The price of medical marijuana is up for debate

Published October 24th, 2013

Do the facts speak for themselves? Not always. Especially when it comes to a topic as controversial as medical marijuana.

Over the past week, a series of infographics about medical marijuana created by bio-pharma company MediJean has been shared frequently on Twitter and Facebook. These infographics are opening a discussion on The Medical Marijuana Debates, amonth-long online discussion series about medical marijuana’s future in Canada. The project is being co-hosted by Canoe.ca and MediJean.

In particular, two recent infographics compare the cost of black market marijuana with the projected cost of medical marijuana on April 1, 2014. That’s when new Health Canada rules come into effect, allowing licensed producers to set their own prices for medical marijuana without having to consult with the federal government.

As these infographics point out, the current black market price is $10 a gram, while the future cost of medical marijuana is estimated at $7.60. Some debaters are hoping that increased competition will lower prices further.

Others aren’t yet sold on the merits of the proposed new licensing and distribution system, which will make it illegal for medical marijuana patients to grow their own medicine. No matter the outcome, these revamped Health Canada medical marijuana program give rise to healthy debate over the coming months.